Team Japan Scores Big at WWA Wakeboarding World Championships in Fort Worth

Fort Worth, TX – Team Japan scored big today at the No Fear WWA Wakeboard World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas as the first finals of the competition took place. Kenji Harada and Yonosuke Ito grabbed titles in the Masters and Veterans divisions, beating a number of highly ranked American riders.

Three riders from Texas had a disappointing day. Billy Garcia of Austin took fourth in the Masters division, while Holland Finley, also of Austin, finished out of the medal round in the girls division. And in the amateur wakeskate division Huffman’s Collin Gee finished fifth.

The competition pulled by Malibu Boats at Marine Creek is the first World Championship to be held in the United States since 2004, and the Americans were expected to dominate. The wins by Harada and Ito, in addition to Canadian Dustin O’Ferrall’s win in Mens I, were a surprise.

“The wins by Harada and Ito are a real coup for Japan, especially since they won their respective divisions against Team USA on an American venue,” said Shannon Starling, head of the WWA, the world organizing body of wakeboarding. “Add in Dustin O’Ferrall’s impressive win, and it was a real good day for the international riders who really stepped it up against the favored Americans.”

Team USA did pick up two wakeboarding titles today. Tara Benzel won the Amateur Women’s finals while Raimi Merritt took home first in the girls division. Two wakeskating titles also went to Team USA – Lance Duffett won in the amateur division and Megan McNeil in the pro women’s division.

The No Fear WWA Wakeboard World Championships presented by Malibu Boats is organized by World Sports & Marketing of Orlando, Florida. The Worlds has the support of the following: No Fear, Malibu Boats, Indmar, Verizon Wireless, U.S. Air Force, Circuit City, Sobe, Hyperlite Wakeboards, CWB, Liquid Force, Gator Boards, Wakeworld.com, Wakeboarder.com and One Percent Design.

Wake Boarding, published by World Publications, is the official magazine of the Air Nautique Wake Games. Wake Boarding is the definitive source on all things wakeboarding, with expert coverage of professional instruction, gear, boats and the latest news.